Juicy Chicken Teriyaki

About This Recipe

Teriyaki (照り焼き) means 'luster grill' in Japanese — teri refers to the glossy glaze, yaki to the cooking method. Authentic teriyaki sauce is just soy, mirin and sake reduced to a sweet, sticky glaze. Chicken thighs are ideal because they stay juicy even when caramelized.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 600 gchicken thighs(boneless, skin-on)
• 60 mlsoy sauce(Japanese style (Kikkoman))
• 60 mlmirin
• 2 tbspsake or dry sherry
• 1 tbspbrown sugar or honey
• 1 tspsesame oil
• 2 tspcornstarch(dissolved in 1 tbsp water)
• 1 tbspvegetable oil
• 2 tspsesame seeds(toasted)
• 2 stalksspring onion(sliced on diagonal)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make teriyaki sauce

   Whisk together soy sauce, mirin, sake and sugar in a small bowl. Set aside. Mix cornstarch with 1 tbsp water separately.

2. 2

   Prep the chicken

   Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Score the thickest part of each thigh with a knife so it cooks evenly. Season lightly with salt.

3. 3

   Sear skin-side down

   Heat oil in a heavy skillet or cast-iron over medium-high. Place chicken skin-side down. Do not move for 6–7 minutes until skin is deeply golden and crispy.

   Do not rush this step — a well-rendered skin holds the glaze beautifully.

4. 4

   Flip and finish

   Flip chicken. Add teriyaki sauce to the pan. Cook 5 minutes, basting constantly, until sauce reduces and coats the chicken. Stir in cornstarch slurry to thicken glaze.

5. 5

   Rest and serve

   Rest chicken 3 minutes. Slice. Serve over steamed Japanese rice, spoon glaze over, garnish with sesame and spring onions.

Variations

• •

  Salmon teriyaki: same technique, cook salmon skin-side down 4 minutes each side.

• •

  Tofu teriyaki: press extra-firm tofu, slice and pan-fry until golden before glazing.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 4 days. The glaze may thicken — add a splash of water when reheating.

Frequently Asked Questions